worried about depressed daughter

BedHead
Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:41:19 +0000

A classmate of mine killed herself in college. The only thing that salved my potential guilt about it is that, when I was rushing across campus a couple of weeks before she did it, I ran into her. I asked how she was doing and noticed she seemed upset. So I slowed the train down and talked to her for a bit and expressed warmth and support.

But I wasn’t a close friend.

After she died, I asked a counselor what I could have done differently. She told me to not hesitate to ask matter of factly and bluntly, “have you thought about suicide?”

I don’t know if this is right for your situation and I haven’t read this thread enough to know if this would be warranted. But one thing I do know, I will never consider that question taboo again as I had. If people have thought about it, they may unburden themselves when you ask. And it may help break down a wall.

Just a thought.